NZTA supports unsafe driver rental blacklist

The New Zealand Transport Agency supports a blacklist for
unsafe tourist drivers and believes there is a way to
implement it without breaching the Privacy Act.

Yesterday, a governance group formed to develop a project
aimed at improving road safety for tourist drivers launched
its first of 42 proposed initiatives - a steering wheel tag
detailing key safety messages.

Following the launch, New Zealand Transport Agency southern
regional director Jim Harland said the agency supported the
proposed blacklist, which was being investigated by the
Rental Vehicle Association (RVA).

At present, tourist drivers deemed unsafe on the roads - but
who do not meet the criteria required to be charged, enabling
police to forbid them to drive - can have their contracts
with rental companies cancelled.

However, there is nothing preventing them from hiring a
vehicle from another company.

The RVA is investigating forming a blacklist, where
information about drivers who had their contracts cancelled
could be shared with other members of the association.

However, there appeared to be issues with that proposal
because sharing customer information would breach their
privacy.

But Mr Harland believed there was a potential solution.

''If the rental agreement said on it, as part of the terms
and conditions, `if ... your contract is cancelled then we
will be providing that information to all members of the
Rental Vehicle Association', I can't see how that would
breach the Privacy Act.

''You're using information for the purpose that the user is
aware.

''If it can be done, it's something the agency would
support.''

While RVA chief executive Barry Kidd said at yesterday's
launch some of the news coverage around overseas drivers had
been ''a little bit sensational'' and the majority of
overseas drivers caused no issues in New Zealand, Mr Harland
said statistics for the southern region indicated a very real
problem.

In the Southland district, 25% of drivers involved in loss of
control and head-on rural crashes resulting in serious or
fatal injury held overseas drivers licences.

In Queenstown Lakes they accounted for 22%, 15% in Central
Otago and 14% in the Clutha district.

In Dunedin, over the past five years, overseas drivers
represented 5%.

''Globally, the number is 4%, which indicates that it is an
issue in the southern South Island.''

Whilst there is clearly an issue with the driving skills of a
few tourists, the headline stats need to be regarded with
some caution.

Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago and Clutha District all
have very small base (local) populations and high numbers of
tourists visiting and passing through. Therefore they will
comprise a much larger proportion of all vehicles on the road
than in many other areas.

You can then add the large number of seasonal backpacker
workers who live in the district who may be here for months
to years who often drive on overseas licenses.

I suspect that, with the odd exception, tourist driving is no
worse here than anywhere else in the country, it just that
they make up a much larger share of vehicles on these
roads.